Rib applying machine

ABSTRACT

A rib laying machine in which the marginal spacing of the rib from the edge of the insole is automatically varied in a predetermined manner as the laying operation proceeds. Adjustments to accommodate for variations in size of the insoles are carried out by interchangeable program means quickly insertable in the machine when another size of insoles is to be run. The automatic adjustment effected by the interchangeable programming means also correlates the rib cut-off mechanism with insole size.

United States Pfiiflii 1 Perry et al.

[ 51 Apr.3,1973

[54] RIB APPLYING MACHINE [75] lnventorszReginald P. Perry, Wellesley; Nils W. Sjoberg, Lynn, both of Mass.

[73] Assignee: Prime Manufacturing Company,

Lynn,Mass.

22 Filed: June 12, 1912 21 Appl.No.: 262,080

[52] U.S.Cl ..12/20 [51] Int. Cl. ..A43d 43/06 [58] Field Of Search ..l2/20, 20.2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,414,922 12/1968 Melanson ..l2/20 W (sec) 3,585,667 6/l97l Leonhardt ..l2/20 Primary Examiner-Patrick D. Lawson Att0rney-Melvin R. Jenney et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A rib laying machine in which the marginal spacing of the rib from the edge of the insole is automatically varied in a predetermined manner as the laying operation proceeds. Adjustments to accommodate for variations in size of the insoles are carried out by interchangeable program means quickly insertable in the machine when another size of insoles is to be run. The automatic adjustment effected by the interchangeable programming means also correlates the rib cut-off mechanism with insole size.

15 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures PATENTEUAPRS ms 3.724.013

FIG. I

CUT-OFF, I

'5 -FROM l ,J- W SOL. AIR VALVE PmEmgnma ms SHEET 3 UF 5 FIG. 5

P TENTEDAPRB I973 3,724,013

SHEET I 0F 5 I SOLENOID I g '68 I AIR gLvE I I RA ET E L 2. 1 [j E HSOU\|/EY I AMPLIFIER T v I C 4 I ill */*L' CUTOFF MICRO SWITCH CUT+OFF CYLINDER 6L, (CUT-OFF) 3R 6R,(CLJT-Ol-"1F) I22 CONTACTJ SAFETY SWITCH, (PREVENTS OVER-TRAVEL) STOP AIR CLUTCH FIG. 6

PATENTED R 3 I973 SHEET 5 OF 5 FIG. 8

FIG. 7

FIG. l2

FIG. ll

TO AMP TO AMP.

BLACK, OPAQUE WHITE OPAQUE TRANSPARENT an: APPLYING MACHINE CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is directed to improvements over the invention disclosed in our prior copending application Ser. No. 96,544 filed Dec. 9, 1970.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Presently stitch-receiving ribs are adhesively attached to insoles by rib laying machines, an example of which is disclosed in Melanson U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,922, that incorporate means for feeding a rib and adhesive tape from a roll onto an insole while the insole is rapidly advanced by power feeding means. A manually controlled edge gauge enables the operator to vary the marginal relation of rib to insole as the laying proceeds around the insole. A high degree of skill is required to manipulate the insole while operating the edge gauge so as to achieve the desired variations in marginal spacing of the rib around the insole, and in addition to actuate the cut-off knife to sever the rib with the requisite accuracy at the end of the rib laying operation. While several attempts have been made to provide automatic or semi-automatic means for performing the guiding and cut-off functions, these have tended to be relatively complex, especially in view of the need for accommodating a full range of insole sizes and for making possible different marginal spacing patterns to suit shoe type and style requirements.

The present invention is concerned with providing rib laying apparatus wherein variable margin guidance for the rib laying operation and actuation of the cut-off knife are achieved automatically by relatively simple and effective means involving pre-programmed control means correlated with insole sizes. Through the provision of readily interchangeable program control means the types and styles of varying marginal relationships of rib to insole and the cut-off point for the rib may quickly be provided for the full range of insole sizes without making adjustments in the machine itself.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in elevation, partly diagrammatic, illustrating a portion of a rib laying machine embodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an insole with a rib attached thereto in a representative non-uniform marginal relation to the edge of the insole,

FIG. 3 is a plan view, partly schematic, illustrating a portion of the work supporting and edge gauge mechanism adjacent the operating point of the machine and also showing the edge gauge adjusting mechanism and portions of the control means therefor,

FIG. 4 is, in part, an enlarged detail view in elevation of the work supporting and edge gauge portion of the machine shown in FIG. 3, with a partly diagrammatic showing of the signal generating means and actuating connections thereto.

FIG. 5 is a view, partly diagrammatic, of that portion of the control mechanism comprising the cams and cam shaft as well as the valves and switch means actuated thereby for controlling the rib margin and for activating the cut-off knife,

FIG. 6, in it upper part, is a simplified circuit diagram of the control means, while the lower portion of the figure illustrates one form of switching means for controlling the operation of the rib laying and cut-off steps,

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are views of the elements of another form of switching means responsive to work advance,

FIG. It) is an enlarged side elevation of the movable sensor element shown in FIG. 9, also showing portions of the drive train from the work support roll,

FIGS. 11 and 12 are views, partly diagrammatic, of alternative types of signal generators, utilizing photoelectric responsive sensors for generating the electrical signals of the control program.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Section 1 Description of the Machine The rib laying machine in which the variable margin control and automatic cut-off mechanisms are shown as embodied is preferably of the general type shown in Ridderstrom U.S. Pat. No. 2,142,332. The apparatus herein described is adapted to form insoles of the type shown in FIG. 2 wherein the insole 20 has a rib 22 adhesively attached thereto around the forepart and shank regions of the insole.

In performing a rib laying operation, the insole 20 is advanced across the top of support roll 24 under the feed fingers 26. The support roll is journalled in bearings within the body of a bracket 28 pivotally mounted on the machine frame 30 at horizontal pivot 32. The bracket 28 and roll 24 may be lowered out of work supporting position by releasing latch 36 on hand lever 38. With the lever latched in raised position, the insole is fed by the alternate feeding action of fingers 26 as is customary with machines of the described type.

The rib guiding means indicated generally at 40 is likewise conventional, as is the provision of the reciprocating cutoff knife 42 supported in oblique guideway 44. Actuation of the cut-off knife is carried out by pneumatic cylinder 56 through any suitable connections, the system of levers 48, 50, 52 in FIG. 1 being merely representative.

Section 2 The Adjustable Edge Gauge and Its Fluid Power Positioning Means.

The edge gauge by which the insole is accurately guided in relation to the rib during the rib laying operation is shown in end view at 60 in FIG. 1 and somewhat more fully in plan and elevation in FIGS. 3 and 4. Heretofore in machines of the illustrated type this edge gauge, which is mounted for sliding movement within support 62, has been positioned manually by lateral motion of hand lever 28 under the control of the operator. In the present machine, the edge gauge is positioned automatically by power means comprising pneumatic cylinder 64 having an output rod 65 connected by offset member 66 to the movable edge gauge 60. Thumb screws 67 in the members 66 and 68 in the fixed support 70 provide adjustable stops to limit the range of movement of the edge gauge and hence determine the maximum and minimum spacings of the rib in relation to the insole.

Operation of the pneumatic adjusting means is under the control of valves 74 and 76 by way of a pressure supply through manifold 78 and conduits 82, 84 and 86, the conduit 82 including a pressure reducer 88, as illustrated in FIG. 3.

Section 3 The Control Means for the Power Operated Edge Gauge and Cut-Off Knife FIG. 5 illustrates the means for periodically operating the air valves 74 and 76 to effect the desired adjustment in the edge gauge as the rib laying proceeds around the insole. A cam shaft 92 journalled in suitable bearings, not shown, is rotated in stepwise fashion by pawl 94 and ratchet 96 as a result of the reciprocating stroke provided by air cylinder 98 under the control'of solenoid valve 102 supplied with air through an adjustable pressure regulator 104. To actuate air valve 74, a twolobe cam 106 is provided, while air valve 76 is operated by a four-lobe cam 108 in which the lobes are spaced alternately closely then widely. The third cam 110 is employed to actuate the cut-off knife through switch 112 and solenoid air,valve 114 (FIG. 6) in the supply to air cylinder 46 (FIG. 1). The ratchet, it will be noted, has in this illustrative embodiment twelve steps in order to provide in each complete rib laying operation six control steps in the course of a halfrevolution ofthe cam shaft 92.

Section 4 The Automatic Program Control for the Rib Margin Adjustments and Cut-Off Knife Operation for Various Sizes of Insoles To simplify the guiding and timing problems for the machine operator and to improve the accuracy of the finished product, the present invention provides means for automatically adjusting the edge gauge as the operation proceeds, so that many styles and relations of rib spacing variations may be accurately reproduced, throughout a full range of insole sizes, without requiring the operator to make readjustments in machine settings.

As an example of an insole having a rib attached in typical varying margin relation, FIG. 2 shows the changes that are readily carried out by a machine embodying our interchangeable program-control feature. Referring to FIG. 2, 1L represents the start of a rib laying operation in the shank region of the insole, where a relatively wide margin from rib to edge of insole is desired. This same margin continues to 2L where a gradual decrease in spacing is caused to occur. The narrow margin continues to 3L where a gradual partial widening takes place into the toe region of the shoe. This ten remains substantially constant to point 4L where again a narrowing commences. At 5L, a widening returns, this time to the relatively wide margin of the shank region. At 6L, approaching the cut-off, the rib laying is almost completed; the cut-off switch activates the cut-off mechanism with the precise instant of operation of the knife determined by an adjustable time delay device so that cut-off can be caused to occur exactly opposite the starting end of the rib. This adjustment is primarily for accommodating half-sizes of insoles.

The automatic program control apparatus employs two main components, interchangeable multi-contact program cards which provide sequences of stepping pulses to the cam shaft, and means for driving the movable switching element in synchronism with the work advance as the rib laying proceeds.

The signal generating means will first be described. The means for generating the current pulses to advance the cam shaft is shown in simplified fashion at 116 in FIGS. 1 and 4 and in greater detail in FIGS. 6 and 10. An arm 1 l8, rotatably mounted at the front of a control box 120, has a roller contact 122 mounted at the end of the arm. This roller contact moves in an are over the face of a thin flat support 124 which may be termed a card or templet. A knob 126 at the front of the box permits setting the arm to start position at the left.

When the arm is rocked in clockwise direction during insole advance, the contact roller sweeps across arcuate arrays of contacts on templet 124. The upper array has contacts 2L-6L which are spaced to provide the pulses to actuate the cam shaft at times corresponding to positions 2L-6L for a left hand insole of a particular full size. The lower array has contacts 2R-6R spaced to provide the properly timed actuating pulses for a right hand insole of the same size.

The templet 124, which has on its surface a printed circuit associated with the contacts, is insertable in a holder in the control box to locate the arrays of contacts in concentric relation to the arm. The upper contacts 2L-6L make connection, when the templet is in place in the control box, to terminal L of a switch 128 mounted at the side of the control box. The lower array 2R-6R makes connection to the other fixed contact R of the switch. Thus the switch permits rapid changeover from left hand to right hand insoles, using one printed circuit program card or templet for each full insole size. A connection from the roller contact 122 is brought out by way of arm 118 and tension spring 130 which urges the arm toward insulated adjustable stop 132. The arm itself is mounted by means of an insulating bushing 134 in hub 136.

The arm 118 is rotated to move the contract roll over the sets of contacts in synchronism with the rib laying operation by connections from the idler roll 24 on which the insole is supported. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the idler roll is provided with a gear which drives gear 142 mounted below the idler roll in a suitable bearing 144. By appropriate connections and gearing from shaft 146 on which gear 142 is mounted,

(represented diagrammatically in FIGS. 1,4 and 10) to I a 9 to 1 reduction is provided in order that arm 118 may be caused to advance through an arc of 40 for a complete 360 revolution of the idler roll 24. An airoperated clutch 150 having its input driven by the speed-reducing gearing and its output connected to the hub 136 permits the arm to be disconnected from the driving connections at the end of each rib laying operation. The spring 130 then returns the arm to its starting position against the stop 132. A solenoid valve 152 (FIG. 6) controls the air supply to the clutch, with a safety switch 154 included in the circuit to disconnect the clutch in the event of over-travel of the arm into engagement with the switch. The driving connections between idler rolls 24 and the control box 116 may be arranged in any suitable manner that permits the control box to be located in a position clearly visible to the machine operator and conveniently accessible for changing the program templets whenever a different size of insoles is to be run.

The control circuits associated with the margin control operations include two switches 160 and 162, shown in FIGS. 1 and 6. These switches are located below the pivotally mounted bracket 28 on which the idler roll 24 is mounted so as to be engaged by the projection 164 when the bracket is lowered at the end of a rib laying operation. When the bracket is up, switch 160 is open and switch 162 is closedfSwitch 160 is connected across the input to a resistance-sensing amplifier 166 (FIG. 6) energized by a low voltage direct current power supply 167, 168. The control signal generator 116 is also connected to the amplifier input. The other switch 162 is connected in series with the solenoid valve 152 which controls the air supply to the air clutch 150 in the drive train to the signal generator.

Section 5 Description of the Rib-Laying Operation To carry out the rib laying operation, the operator places an insole in the machine so that when the handle 38 is raised to bring the bracket 28and idler roll 24 to operative position, the rib and insole are at point 1L at the heel breast line. With the raising of the bracket, switch 162 closes to activate the air clutch, connecting the drive train from the idler roll to the switch arm 118 of the control unit. As the sole travels through the machine and turns the roll 24, the arm 118 of the control box is slowly advanced in synchronism, bringing the roller 122 to the 2L contact position. This completes the circuit through switch 128 (positioned at L for a left hand insole) to ground, and by way of arm 118 and spring 130 to the amplifier 166, thereby shorting the amplifier input. The amplifier thereupon actuates relay 172 which closes the circuit to the solenoid valve 102, causing the air cylinder 98 to operate the pawl and ratchet drive to advance the cam shaft 92 one step of the ratchet.

At the start of the operation at 1L the spacing of the rib from the edge of the insole is at its widest and the piston within air cylinder 64 (FIG. 4) is at its fully retracted position with adjusting screw 67 in contact with the fixed support 70. When the ratchet turns the cam shaft 92 the first step, the lobes of both cams 106 and 108 actuate their corresponding valves 74 and 76, admitting air to the cylinder 64 so as to being moving piston rod 65 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 4, thereby causing the edge gauge to start narrowing the rib margin. When the piston rod reaches its left hand limit of motion, defined by adjusting screw 68, the rib margin is at its narrowest in the region indicated at 174 in FIG. 2.

In the meantime, the arm 118 has continued to move slowly across the templet, carrying the contact roller beyond the 2L contact and thereby breaking the circuit from the control box to the amplifier and opening relay 172. This deactivates the solenoid air valve and allows the pawl 94 to retract to the next step. The continuing advance of the insole now brings the arm 118 to the BL position, again closing the amplifier and relay circuits to operate the air cylinder for the ratchet drive to the cam shaft. The low region 176 in the cam 108 now deactivates valve 76 while valve 74 remains activated by cam 106. This causes the piston in cylinder 64 to move somewhat to the right, thus withdrawing the edge gauge to an intermediate position, resulting in a margin of intermediate width around the toe region, as shown in FIG. 2, beginning at 3L.

Further travel of the insole continues the advance of the arm 118 over the surface of the control templet to the 4L position, whereupon the valve 76 is again actuated by its cam 108 while valve 74 remains active, thereby returning the edge gauge to its narrowest margin position, beginning at the 4L region of FIG. 2. As the insole continues to advance, the rib laying approaches the shank region 5L, at which time the SL contact in the control box is reached, again actuating the air cylinder 98 to advance the cam shaft another step of the ratchet. This carries the lobes of both cams 106 and 108 past their roller followers and causing valves 74 and 76 to operate the piston to bring the edge gauge to the wide margin position, corresponding to the width at the start IL.

The insole is now approaching the end of the rib laying operation, when the rib is to be cut off opposite the start. With the closing of contact 6L in the control box, slightly in advance of the precise cut-off point desired, the cam shaft advances the next step of the ratchet. Valves 74 and 76 remain deactivated, but cam 110 now reaches a position where notch 180 allows switch 112 to close, operating a delay timer 184 in control of the operation of solenoid air valve 114 in the supply to the air cylinder 46 for the cut-off knife. The delay timer is adjustable to permit the point of cut-off to be adjusted.

Upon the actuation of the cut-off knife to sever the rib, the operator now releases the latch 36 to lower handle 38 and bracket 28. The lowering of bracket 28 opens switch 162 to deactivate the air clutch in the drive train to the control box, thereby allowing the switch arm 118 to return to its starting position against its stop 132. At the same time the switch 160, which is in shunt with the connections from the control box to the amplifier input closes to apply another actuating pulse to the solenoid in control of cam shaft advance. The sixth step of the ratchet brings the cam shaft to a position from its position at the beginning of the description of operation. As the cams 106, 108 and 110 are symmetrical about axes through their starting positions relative to their cam followers, as shown in FIG. 5, the cams and cam shaft are again in start position, even though having rotated only 180. The invention is of course not limited to the described number of control steps per rib laying operation, as the ratchet may be provided with more teeth to enable a greater number of margin variations or other control functions to occur as may be desired in the course of the rib laying, Preferably the ratchet will employ twice the number of teeth utilized in each rib laying operation, in order that the pawl and ratchet action may have a moderate stroke length.

The operation of the control system has been described in conjunction with printed circuit boards 124 as the interchangeable program means for properly timing the rib margin adjustments in relation to insole size. A variation is illustrated in FIGS. 7-9 wherein there is provided a pair of conductive plates 192 and 194 of sheet copper or the like mounted on insulating support 196 in arcuately spaced relation. This support with its conductive surfaces may be installed in the control box with the upper and lower plates permanently connected to the L and R terminals of switch 128.

The interchangeable control templets 200 in this embodiment consist of thin sheets of insulating material provided with arcuate rows of holes 202 through which the enlarged ends 204 of the contact roller 122 may make contact with the conductive plates 192 and 194 as the arm 118 is rotated. As the templets may be simply punched cards with the two sets of holes accurately located for each insole size, both left and right, a wide variety of templets may quickly and economically be provided.

Still other variations which may be of advantage where it is desired to avoid the use of moving electrical contacts in the control box are illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. In FIG. 11, a light source 230 behind a trans parent support 232 activates photocells 234 and 236 on the arm 118 through holes in opaque templet 238. In FIG. 12, separate light sources 242 and 244 are mounted on the arm 118 and actuate adjacent photocells 246 and 248 by reflection from white support 250 through the timing holes in the interchangeable templet 238.

It will be seen that the operation of the automatic margin control is the same whether the control pulses are derived from interchangeable printed circuit boards, punch cards or aperture cards positioned over continuously conductive surfaces, or photoelectric sensors illuminated through punch card templets.

We claim:

1. A rib laying machine having work feeding and adjustable guiding means for attaching a stitch receiving rib in predetermined varying marginal relation to the edge of the insole around at least a portion of the insole comprising fluid powered means for positioning the work guiding means over a predetermined range of positions,

a cam shaft, aplurality of cams thereon and flow control means actuated by said cams to control the flow of fluid to the positioning means for the work guiding means,

means responsive to electrical signals for rotating the cam shaft in stepwise manner to effect changes in rib spacing,

and means for periodically activating the cam shaft stepping means at intervals correlated with the size of insole to effect changes in rib spacing at the predetermined regions of the insole.

2. The rib laying machine of claim 1 wherein the means for activating the cam shaft stepping means comprises electrical switching means for generating a series of electrical pulses at intervals which vary with the size of insole.

3. The rib laying machine of claim 1 wherein the electrical switching means includes a plurality of contacts successively activated by insole advance.

4. The rib laying machine of claim 3 wherein the spacing between successive contacts varies with the size of insole.

5. The rib laying machine of claim 1 having in addition to the work feeding and guiding means a cut off knife for severing the rib at the completion of the rib laying operation, power means for operating said knife,

and activating means for said power means comprising a cam on said cam shaft and a switch actuated by said cam following completion of the series of rib margin adjustments by said stepwise advances of the cam shaft.

6. The rib laying machine of claim 5 wherein adjustable time delay means is included in the connections between said cam-actuated switch and the power actuating means for said cut off knife.

7. A rib laying machine having work feeding and adjustable guiding means in the vicinity of the operating point of the machine for attaching a stitch-receiving rib to the insole in predetermined varying marginal relation around at least a portion of the insole, means remote from the operating point of the machine for generating electrical control signals at predetermined intervals as the rib laying operation proceeds around the insole, power means responsive to said control signals to adjust the work guiding means to vary the marginal relation of rib to insole in accordance with said control signals, and means operative upon the start of a rib laying operation to initiate operation of the signal generating means. I

8. A rib laying machine according to claim 7 including means continuously synchronizing the operation of the signal generating means with the progress of the rib laying operation around the insole.

9. A rib laying machine according to claim 8 wherein the synchronizing means includes a measuring device continuously responsive to the distance of insole advance from the start of each rib laying operation along a path substantially corresponding to the path of the rib around the insole and the signal generating comprises means for causing the synchronizing means to generate control pulses at intervals varying with size of insole.

10. A rib laying machine according to claim 9 wherein the signal generating means comprises a templet having spaced control points, a movable member actuated by said synchronizing means to transverse successive control points, and means actuated by said transverse of the control points to effect successive adjustments of the work guiding means.

11. A rib laying machine according to claim 9 wherein the templet has two sets of control points, one set having spacings for correlating the actuation of the margin adjusting means with a left hand insole and another set of control points for correlating the margin adjustments with a right hand insole of similar size.

12. A rib laying machine according to claim 11, and means for rendering operative one or the other of the sets of control points of the templet.

13. A rib laying machine according to claim 10 wherein the control points are electrical contacts on the templet and the movable member includes a contact mounted thereon to make successive connections to said contacts.

14. A- rib laying machine according to claim 10 wherein the control points are apertures in the templet and the movable member makes electrical contact when tranversing an aperture.

15. A rib laying machine according to claim- 10 wherein the control points are apertures in the templet and the control signals are generated by the passage of light through said apertures to a photosensitive detector. 

1. A rib laying machine having work feeding and adjustable guiding means for attaching a stitch receiving rib in predetermined varying marginal relation to the edge of the insole around at least a portion of the insole comprising fluid powered means for positioning the work guiding means over a predetermined range of positions, a cam shaft, a plurality of cams thereon and flow control means actuated by said cams to control the flow of fluid to the positioning means for the work guiding means, means responsive to electrical signals for rotating the cam shaft in stepwise manner to effect changes in rib spacing, and means for periodically activating the cam shaft stepping means at intervals correlated with the size of insole to effect changes in rib spacing at the predetermined regions of the insole.
 2. The rib laying machine of claim 1 wherein the means for activating the cam shaft stepping means comprises electrical switching means for generating a series of electrical pulses at intervals which vary with the size of insole.
 3. The rib laying machine of claim 1 wherein the electrical switching means includes a plurality of contacts successively activated by insole advance.
 4. The rib laying machine of claim 3 wherein the spacing between successive contacts varies with the size of insole.
 5. The rib laying machine of claim 1 having in addition to the work feeding and guiding means a cut off knife for severing the rib at the completion of the rib laying operation, power means for operating said knife, and activating means for said power means comprising a cam on said cam shaft and a switch actuated by said cam following completion of the series of rib margin adjustments by said stepwise advances of the cam shaft.
 6. The rib laying machine of claim 5 wherein adjustable time delay means is included in the connections between said cam-actuated switch and the power actuating means for said cut off kniFe.
 7. A rib laying machine having work feeding and adjustable guiding means in the vicinity of the operating point of the machine for attaching a stitch-receiving rib to the insole in predetermined varying marginal relation around at least a portion of the insole, means remote from the operating point of the machine for generating electrical control signals at predetermined intervals as the rib laying operation proceeds around the insole, power means responsive to said control signals to adjust the work guiding means to vary the marginal relation of rib to insole in accordance with said control signals, and means operative upon the start of a rib laying operation to initiate operation of the signal generating means.
 8. A rib laying machine according to claim 7 including means continuously synchronizing the operation of the signal generating means with the progress of the rib laying operation around the insole.
 9. A rib laying machine according to claim 8 wherein the synchronizing means includes a measuring device continuously responsive to the distance of insole advance from the start of each rib laying operation along a path substantially corresponding to the path of the rib around the insole and the signal generating comprises means for causing the synchronizing means to generate control pulses at intervals varying with size of insole.
 10. A rib laying machine according to claim 9 wherein the signal generating means comprises a templet having spaced control points, a movable member actuated by said synchronizing means to transverse successive control points, and means actuated by said transverse of the control points to effect successive adjustments of the work guiding means.
 11. A rib laying machine according to claim 9 wherein the templet has two sets of control points, one set having spacings for correlating the actuation of the margin adjusting means with a left hand insole and another set of control points for correlating the margin adjustments with a right hand insole of similar size.
 12. A rib laying machine according to claim 11, and means for rendering operative one or the other of the sets of control points of the templet.
 13. A rib laying machine according to claim 10 wherein the control points are electrical contacts on the templet and the movable member includes a contact mounted thereon to make successive connections to said contacts.
 14. A rib laying machine according to claim 10 wherein the control points are apertures in the templet and the movable member makes electrical contact when tranversing an aperture.
 15. A rib laying machine according to claim 10 wherein the control points are apertures in the templet and the control signals are generated by the passage of light through said apertures to a photosensitive detector. 